


Internship

by Thea Carmen (RobotPhantom)



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Gen, POV Second Person, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-12
Updated: 2013-08-12
Packaged: 2017-12-23 06:45:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/923222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobotPhantom/pseuds/Thea%20Carmen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A morning, or is it afternoon? of a Night Vale Radio intern.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Internship

**Author's Note:**

> Want to pester me about this fic? Just want to say hi? Contact me through tumblr, url robotsandink

You wake up, just as you do every day.  
You shower, making sure not to leave any soap in your hair, and get dressed. Black jeans and a purple shirt, a Night Vale radio pin is visible on your collar. There is another pinned to your bag just to be safe.  
There is a moment where you consider tying your hair back today, you remember Cecil had said he liked it tied back but decide, instead, to wear it loose so it can dry. You do pin it back with a barrette to keep it out of your eyes. It was a gift from Old Woman Josie because “the angels said you needed it, sweetheart.”  
She had given you a sachet of salt and a dog collar on other occasions. You had smiled and gratefully accepted both.  
You grab an apple and head out the door, tucking the salt sachet into your shirt and waving at Steve Carlsburg. He was out getting his newspaper, though you wouldn't tell Cecil.  
He raises his mug in your general direction as you walk past.  
Cecil never liked Steve, or so he claims. You and intern Dana speculate that they used to date in High School or something and it did not turn out well. Cecil turned bright red and refused to answer your questions on the subject.  
Intern Dana had clinked mugs with you, then went to get you both more tea.  
You open the door to the radio station and your senses are accosted by the smell of musty carpets and cheap coffee. You don't hear any of Cecil's music coming in from the studio, so he isn't in yet. At least probably not.  
You start the coffeemaker, after performing the proper blood sacrifices and traditional serenading. ('Toxic' By Britney Spears has been a favorite lately). You bandage up the sacrifice's hand and tell him that his wounds from his recent encounter with Station Management seem to be healing nicely.  
Roger, very politely, tells you to eat a dick and wanders off. He hasn't really forgiven you from reporting his frequent harassment of a few interns, including a few favorite's of the management. (Which wasn't saying much, anyone who wasn't dead by now was a favorite of the management). Roger was a dick, anyways, so you didn't really care that he hated you.  
You check the window of the studio before going inside, Cecil didn't usually sleep in the studio so much anymore but it was considered common courtesy to check first.  
He had left a half empty mug of coffee (decaf, three sugars) near a pile of stained notes. A paper plate was crumpled in half near the waste basket. You put it there, along with the notes, and get Rodger to take out the garbage for you. You briefly notice that his being permanently bound to the studio has left him in need of a shave, but the fangs are a definite improvement. Cecil mentioned Carlos possibly benefiting from fangs (despite him being, of course, already perfect) and asked you to order him a pair from the Gothic website he knows Intern Dana used to frequent before she was taken into the dog park.  
You miss Dana, you think. You like Intern Kelsey well enough, you and she have gone to school together all your lives, but she isn't Dana.  
You glance around once and sit down in Cecil's rolling chair. It's black, and most of the upholstery’s been picked away on the arms by his constantly fidgeting fingers. Cecil isn't much taller than you, but you feel very small all the same.  
Part of you realizes that Carlos sat here last weekend, with Cecil. And you feel a small twinge of jealousy. You eye the microphone and headset and, after double checking your surroundings again, you scoot the chair forward so you can slip the headset on your head.  
“Good evening, Night vale.” You say, trying to imitate Cecil. And you smile a bit. “Listeners, I'm not one to play favorites with our great interns here at the station...but-”  
There's a hand on your shoulder and you freeze. You look up, slowly.  
Cecil is smiling at you, arms folded over the back of the chair. He has on a shirt you don't remember him owning before.  
“Morning.” He says, and you feel the heat rising as you shrink into the chair. You slide to far and fall to the floor. Cecil chuckles, not unkindly.  
You hear him sit down and roll toward you, he pokes you with the toe of his sneaker. “Hey, that wasn't a bad impression.”  
You bury your face in your arms and make a noise not unlike the cat in the men's room. Cecil laughs again and lowers a mug of coffee and a municipally approved raisin bagel to the floor next to you. You feel a twinge in your chest and accept both by sitting up, knocking your head into the desk, moving out from under the desk, and sitting up again. Your legs crossed under you. The coffee is a little to sweet, but he did remember that you don't take it black. And that's enough for you.  
“You're the one who reported Intern Roger to station management.” He says, and you nod. He nods too, and you vaguely notice a bruise on his neck.  
There's that twinge again.  
“How was your night?” You ask, not really wanting him to answer but not wanting to be rude. His eyes light up behind his glasses and you feel your heart flutter a little.  
He turns toward you, hands splayed against his legs. “Oh my gosh, it was wonderful? I don't normally like to discus my personal life-”  
You remind him that this is gossip intern time and not his radio show, and his ears turn scarlet.  
“So Carlos took me out for a drive last night...”  
And he tells you, in glorious detail, all about his date. His hands move when he talks, and when he smiles you can't help but smile back...despite the twinge growing into a full fledged pain in your chest.  
You finish your bagel and Cecil has Intern Kelsey bring you both more coffee, you tell Kelsey to sweeten it, which she responds with a quirked eyebrow but she shrugs it off. Near the end of his story Cecil tugs on the collar of his shirt and you spot yet another bruise.  
You point this out to him and his leans over to ruffle your hair. You have to fake a cough and briefly bury your face in your arm to stifle a giggle. Kelsey gives you a knowing nudge when she returns and you trip her with an outstretched leg.  
Cecil glances at the clock (or whatever) above you on the wall and pulls the headset off of your head with an apologetic smile that nearly makes you melt.  
He turns the mic up to his mouth, and you can hear the delay of the intercom in the next room. “On air in five.” He says, in that voice of his. “I repeat on air in five.”  
He turns to you and smiles. “Welp, looks like you have work to do.”  
You nod, almost sadly, and stand up slowly. He gives you a pat on the back, and the feeling is enough to straighten your spine a little.  
“Good Evening, Night Vale.” He says into the mic, flashing you a thumbs up. You slip out of the recording booth, lean against the wall, and sigh.  
Today was a good day.


End file.
